The Olympic Movement's global sponsorship program, known as TOP (The Olympic Partners), began 25 years ago, and to mark the event IOC President Jacques Rogge hosted a reception in Lausanne, Switzerland, for guests from around the world who helped create the original TOP Program.

"Over the past few decades, the TOP Program has gone from strength to strength, which is testament to both the original idea of creating the program and the continuing power of a partnership with the Olympic Movement and the Olympic Games. I would like to pay tribute to my friend, the late Honorary IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch, who had the vision and confidence to develop a pioneering global Olympic marketing program. His dedication, coupled with the work of the many people involved in the Olympic marketing programs over the last 25 years, have been a major contributing factor to the health of the Olympic Movement today," said Rogge.

Partnerships between the modern Olympic Movement and commercial enterprises have been central to the IOC through its 116-year history. However, the first global Olympic sponsorship program was not created until 1984, following the Los Angeles Olympic Games.

The Worldwide TOP program generates revenues that are distributed throughout the Olympic Movement including to the Organizing Committees of the Olympic Games, the National Olympic Committees and ultimately to support the athletes. Not only does this money help finance the staging of the Games, it also goes towards developing sport across the world.

In addition to the financial support generated by sponsorship, each Olympic partner's products, technology and expertise are vital to the success of the Games. Partners also help promote the Games worldwide through their marketing campaigns and sponsorship activations, helping the Olympic Movement reach a wide global audience.

Through this commitment, the Olympic partners provide the foundation for the staging of the Games and help more athletes from more countries participate on the world's biggest sporting stage.

Over the course of its 25-year history, the TOP Program has involved over 24 global, industry-leading companies in the program. In the current cycle, the IOC has already reached agreements with nine partners through to 2012. The current partners of the program are: Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos Origin, GE, McDonald's, Omega, Panasonic, Samsung and Visa. Six partners are already signed through to 2016 (Coca-Cola, Atos Origin, Omega, Panasonic, Samsung and Visa), and three partners (Coca-Cola, Omega and Visa) through to 2020.